Written Answers

Monday 7 August 2000

Scottish Executive

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether blood and tissue samples have been taken and analysed from victims of new variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) and, if so, (a) whether the results show the presence of (i) vitamin disorder and (ii) trace element disorder, and (b) how the results differ from those obtained from the victims of sporadic CJD.

Susan Deacon: We are not aware of research of this nature currently being carried out in Scotland. However, the CJD Surveillance Unit, based in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, has confirmed that although they carry out a number of tests on blood and tissue samples taken from CJD victims, they do not routinely test for the disorders mentioned in the question. Therefore we have no evidence to date to establish a link.

Crime

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes against the elderly took place in each of the past five years broken down by police force.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information at the level of detail requested is not available centrally.

Dental Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to address the 10% decrease in children registering for general and community dental services.

Susan Deacon: Patient registration figures at 31 May 2000 indicate that there has been an overall decrease of 1.7% in the number of children registered on the NHS with a general dental practitioner compared to the position in May 1999. The percentage of young children who are being registered with a general dental practitioner has risen by the same percentage over this period. Children do not register for treatment with a community dentist.

  A number of measures are currently in operation. Scottish Ministers are continuing to approve salaried dentist posts for areas where patients are experiencing difficulty in obtaining treatment on the NHS. Enhanced monthly capitation fees are paid to dentists who register young children from deprived areas on the NHS. The Scottish Dental Access Initiative offers grants to dentists establishing or expanding NHS practices in areas of unmet patient demand or high oral health need.

Fisheries

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total amount of funding paid direct to the Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen.

Mr John Home Robertson: Fisheries Research Services is an executive agency of the Scottish Executive. Its external funding limit (the total which it may spend regardless of the source of funding) has been set at £14.3 million for the current financial year.

Fisheries

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding paid to the Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen is available to tendering by other marine laboratories.

Mr John Home Robertson: The primary function of Fisheries Research Services (FRS) is to provide information and scientific advice to the Scottish Executive in support of the latter’s national and international responsibilities for fisheries. Approximately 75% of the funding paid to FRS is used in direct support of these responsibilities, the remainder being spent on underpinning research.

  The Executive’s funding for FRS is currently not available for tendering to other laboratories and there are no plans at present to change these arrangements. Other laboratories will, however, continue to be considered for ad hoc research programmes.

Food Labelling

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce measures to give consumers more information about chicken and egg products such as (a) the country of origin, (b) a traceable source, (c) a recognised mark of quality assurance and (d) confirmation that they have been produced in accordance with animal welfare regulations.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no plans to require information which is additional to the existing statutory requirements to be provided on food labels.

  European legislation prohibits member states insisting on country of origin labelling on products produced within the European Union. However, recent guidance to local authorities has made it clear that labelling a product "British" when the main raw material is imported could be interpreted as misleading.

  Packaged food products must contain a "lot" mark which enables them to be traced to their factory and production batch. Eggs must contain details of their packing station and may only be marketed as "free range" or "barn or perchery" where certain specified criteria are met. All food production methods must conform to existing animal welfare regulations.

HMS Gannet

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received a consultative document from the Ministry of Defence on the future of HMS Gannet and the site upon which it operates at Monkton, Prestwick, and, if so, whether it will publish details of any response given.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive has submitted comments to the Ministry of Defence following receipt of the consultative document on the future of HMS Gannet. As a reserved matter, final decisions on the future of HMS Gannet are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and the UK Government.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to use coronary stents in the treatment of heart disease throughout Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Coronary stents are already used in Scotland for the treatment of coronary heart disease, based on the indications set out in SIGN Guideline 32, Coronary Revascularisation in the management of stable angina .

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to address the rise in confirmed notifications of meningococcal infection.

Susan Deacon: Rises in confirmed notifications of meningococcal infection over the winter of 1999-2000 were associated with the unusually large outbreak of influenza, a well-recognised association. On 14 January the Executive issued a press release, SE0059/2000, confirming this and urging vigilance to identify early signs of meningococcal infection and urging parents to bring their children forward when invited to receive vaccination against meningococcal group C infection.

  The Executive is meeting the costs of the meningococcal C immunisation programme which began in November last year, and which is aimed at reducing numbers of cases of group C meningococcal infection. The cost of the programme is £31 million over the three years to 2001-02.

  The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) has recently implemented an enhanced surveillance programme, in liaison with the Scottish Meningococcal and Pneumococcal Reference Laboratory (Stobhill), to study in detail the effects of the vaccination programme and to allow targeting of other interventions as appropriate or which may be available in the future.

  Reported levels of infection have now declined to low levels in accordance with what would normally be expected at this time of year.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of meningococcal infection and viral hepatitis were recorded for the year 1999.

Susan Deacon: There were 352 statutory notifications of meningococcal infection reported to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) in Scotland in 1999. These include cases which are laboratory confirmed and cases diagnosed on the basis of clinical appearance.

  Preliminary numbers of laboratory reports to SCIEH in 1999 for viral hepatitis types A, B and C were:

  


Type A


61




Type B


386




Type C


2,012




Total


2,459

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were sent to jail for non-payment of fines, for which they had been subject to a means test enquiry, in each year since 1994 for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information currently available on the numbers of receptions into penal establishments for non-payment of fines is given in the table below. This information cannot distinguish those who had been subject to a means test enquiry. However, it is believed that the majority of fined offenders will have attended Means or Fines Enquiry Courts prior to extracts for imprisonment being enforced.

  Fine default receptions to penal establishments, Scotland

  


1994


1995


1996


1997


19981




8,875


7,509


8,999


10,720


8,400




  Notes:

  1. During 1998 there were at least 20 weekdays for which information was unavailable. Any warrant information entered on these days could be lost. This means that receptions of prisoners serving only a day or two, such as fine defaulters, may not be counted. Because of this, the currently published figure of 8,400 fine default receptions may be under-estimated by a factor of up to 10%. Revised figures will be published on 30 August 2000 in the forthcoming News Release "Provisional Prison Statistics, Scotland, 1999".

Justice

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accused people appearing in courts in the North East of Scotland were granted bail in each of the last three years and how many of those accused appeared on charges relating to (a) house-breaking, (b) assault and robbery and (c) drug-related offences.

Mr Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the table.

  Number of bail orders involving selected offences, North East Scotland1, 2, 1997-99

  


SEJD crime category


1997


1998


1999




Housebreaking


245


285


158




Robbery


36


67


38




Drug offences


488


609


395




  Notes:

  1. Aberdeen, Banff, Elgin, Peterhead and Stonehaven Sheriff Courts; Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray District Courts.

  2. If a bail order relates to more than one type of offence, then it is counted once for each type of offence.

Ministers

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to detail, for the period since the Scottish Parliament was established, (a) the number of overseas trips made by each junior and senior Minister, (b) the total number of overseas trips made by all Ministers and (c) the total cost of these overseas trips.

Mr Jim Wallace: I will write to Mr McLetchie with this information soon.

NHS Pay

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS managers have received discretionary bonuses and what the total value of these awards has been, in the current financial year and last year.

Susan Deacon: Information on individual managers’ pay is not held centrally. In Scotland NHS managers are paid on their performance in meeting the objectives and targets set at the start of the reporting year. New pay arrangements for this staff group were introduced with effect from 1 April 2000. These arrangements are set out in NHS MEL (2000) 25.

  It is for the Remuneration Committee in each individual Trust and health board to determine the performance and make payments in accordance with the guidance issued by the Management Executive. Discretionary bonuses do not form part of the pay system for these staff.

National Environmental Research Council

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representation Scotland has on the National Environmental Research Council, who the representatives are and how they are appointed.

Mr John Home Robertson: The UK Research Councils are reserved under the Scotland Act 1998 and appointments are a matter for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Police

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time taken by police to acquire warrants is and how this compares with the average for each of the last three years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for individual forces to ensure that all types of warrant are obtained and executed quickly and accurately.

Police

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to the police in the light of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive issued guidance to all public authorities, including police authorities, on the convention rights entitled A New Era of Rights and Responsibilities: Core Guidance for Public Authorities . The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland has also produced specific guidance on the practical implications of the human rights legislation for police forces. The guidance will be augmented by a Scottish Police College seminar on the Human Rights Act which will supplement the awareness training already provided at force level.

Post Offices

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4067 by Henry McLeish on 21 February 2000, which section of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive information justifies the non-disclosure of details of its contact with Her Majesty’s Government about the effects on post offices of an automated bank transfer system for the payment of benefits.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: Disclosure of information which would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion is exempted from the commitment to provide information under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive information. The relevant section is Exemption 2.

Prison Service

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Prison Service’s policy is regarding staff absence due to sickness for periods of (a) up to two weeks and (b) over two weeks.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service currently has local absence management policies in each prison, based on national guidelines.

  None of the existing policies distinguishes between those absent for (a) up to two weeks and (b) over two weeks.

Rural Affairs

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its Rural Affairs Department’s budget, expressed in percentage and monetary terms, had no linkage to European funding in each of the last five financial years, the current year and projected for next year and what percentage this was and is of the overall spending block.

Ross Finnie: The table below shows the relevant values and percentages.

  


£ million
  



1995-96
Out-turn
  

1996-97
Out-turn
  

1997-98
Out-turn
  

1998-99
Out-turn
  

1999-2000
Estimated Out-turn 


2000-01
Plan
  

2001-02
Plan
  



113
(22%)
  

120
(20%)
  

117
(23%)
  

109
(19%)
  

112
(21%)
  

114
(21%)
  

116
(20%)
  



  Rural Affairs portfolio spending, excluding the environment, was not, pre-devolution, part of the Scottish Block but was negotiated as part of an overall UK Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (AFF) programme. For the years 2000-01 and 2001-02, the sums above constitute 0.68% and 0.65% respectively of the Total Budget.

Sheltered Housing

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any advice has been sought from it on the implications of the European Directive on Working Time for night-time wardens in sheltered housing.

Iain Gray: The European Directive on Working Time is regulated by the Department of Trade and Industry. It is a reserved matter for which the Scottish Executive has no general responsibility.

Skye Bridge

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of its agreement to freeze the level of tolls on the Skye Bridge, what the implications are of the recent opinion of the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice that crossing tolls are liable for VAT and, in particular, whether it intends to absorb the cost of this tax, whether VAT will be added to the cost of using the bridge or whether the period of the PFI concession will be extended to cover the costs.

Sarah Boyack: The decision of the European Court of Justice is not due until 12 September.

Working Groups

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4432 by Susan Deacon on 13 March 2000, whether it will list the members of the working group established by the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee to look at recruitment, training and retention of medical laboratory staff; what is the working group’s remit; when it will complete its deliberations, and whether it will give an assurance that the working group’s conclusions will be made public.

Susan Deacon: The remit of the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) Working Group on the recruitment, training and retention of Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers is:

  "To consider issues relating to the recruitment, training and retention of Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers in order to provide a high quality service capable of responding to changes in working practice such as automation, skill-mix, role extension and on-call arrangements and the demands of developments such as one-stop clinics and near-patient testing."

  Its membership is:

  


Mr T Cavanagh (Chairman)


Laboratory Manager/Senior Chief MLSO Western Infirmary, Glasgow




Ms M Allardyce


Senior Chief MLSO (Haematology) Aberdeen Royal Infirmary




Dr E G Buckley


Executive Director, Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical 
and Dental Education




Dr R A Burnett


Consultant Pathologist, Western Infirmary, Glasgow




Mr J Deans


MLSO 4 (Haematology), Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary




Mr R Fleet


Pathology Laboratory Manager, Borders General Hospital




Mr M Fuller


Regional Officer, MSF




Mr E Galloway


MLSO 3 (Immunology), Western Infirmary, Glasgow




Mr S Greep


Chief Executive Ayrshire & Arran Acute Hospitals NHS 
Trust




Mr R A McCartney


Head MLSO (Regional Virus Laboratory), Gartnavel General 
Hospital, Glasgow




Mr G D Milne


MLSO 4 (Pathology), Aberdeen Royal Infirmary




Dr D C Old


Reader in Medical Microbiology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee




Mr K Rae


Head MLSO/Diagnostic Services Manager, University of Edinburgh 
Medical School




Mr J T Scott


Laboratory Manager, Edinburgh and S E Scotland Blood Transfusion 
Service




Mr R Singer


Business Manager/Laboratory Manager, Ninewells Hospital, 
Dundee




Mr D Swan


Senior Chief MLSO (Clinical Microbiology), Western Infirmary, 
Glasgow




  The group expects to report to SMASAC towards the end of the year. Its conclusions will be made public.